The Royal Mile is not one street but four — Castlehill, the Lawnmarket, the High Street and the Canongate — running in a straight line down the tail of rock that glaciers left behind Castle Rock. It is a little longer than a modern mile, about 1.8 km, and drops roughly 70 metres from the castle esplanade to the gates of Holyrood Palace.
For centuries this ridge was Edinburgh. Hemmed in by its walls, the city grew upwards into tenements ten or more storeys high, with narrow closes and wynds plunging off on either side like the bones of a fish. Many are open to walk through, and they are where the Old Town still feels medieval.
For walkers the Royal Mile is also simply the way to the hill: go down it, and when the buildings stop, Arthur’s Seat is in front of you.
Top things to do at The Royal Mile
Step inside St Giles’ Cathedral
The High Kirk of Edinburgh, with its crown-shaped spire, has stood here since the 12th century. Entry is by donation; do not miss the tiny, extravagantly carved Thistle Chapel.
Duck into the closes
Try Advocate’s Close for its framed view of the Scott Monument, Dunbar’s Close for a hidden 17th-century-style garden, and White Horse Close, near Holyrood, for its picture-book courtyard.
Visit the free museums of the Canongate
The Museum of Edinburgh and the People’s Story, opposite each other on the lower Royal Mile, are free. Canongate Kirk next door has the graves of the economist Adam Smith and the poet Robert Fergusson.
Go underground
Beneath the City Chambers, The Real Mary King’s Close preserves streets buried in the 18th century. See our guide to the Old Town’s vaults and ghost tours.
How to get to The Royal Mile
- From Waverley station: take the Market Street exit and climb any of the closes or Cockburn Street; you are on the High Street in five minutes.
- By tram: get off at St Andrew Square or Princes Street and walk over the Mound or North Bridge.
- To Holyrood Park: simply walk downhill. From St Giles’ to the palace gates takes about 15 minutes.
Insider tips
- Walk it downhill, from the castle to Holyrood, and finish on the hill or in the palace.
- The upper part is crowded and souvenir-heavy; the Canongate, lower down, is quieter and more interesting.
- In August the High Street is taken over by Fringe performers — wonderful, but slow going if you are in a hurry.
Best tours & tickets for The Royal Mile
These top-rated experiences pair well with a visit to The Royal Mile:
Walking tour from €19 Edinburgh: Old Town History Walking Tour
Two hours on foot through the medieval Old Town with a knowledgeable local guide: the Royal Mile, hidden closes, Greyfriars and the stories of the people who lived here. An inexpensive, well-reviewed way to get your bearings on your first day.
- The Royal Mile, closes and courtyards
- A thousand years of Edinburgh history
- Low price, high rating
Guided attraction from €34 Edinburgh: The Real Mary King’s Close Guided Tour
Beneath the City Chambers lies a warren of streets and houses buried when the Royal Exchange was built over them in the 18th century. A character guide leads you through homes that last saw daylight centuries ago, with the story of the 1645 plague told without gimmicks.
- A 17th-century street sealed beneath the Royal Mile
- Costumed character guides
- Timed entry — book ahead in summer
Tour + tasting from €29 Edinburgh: The Scotch Whisky Experience Tour and Tasting
Next to the castle esplanade, this is the easy introduction to Scotland’s national drink: how whisky is made, what separates Speyside from Islay, a vault holding thousands of bottles, and a guided dram at the end. Several ticket levels with more tastings are offered.
- How Scotch is made, region by region
- One of the world’s largest whisky collections
- A guided tasting to finish
